Re-Instatement of Pell Grants for Incarcerated Students: Implications for CS Education
Emma Hogan, Darakhshan Mir, Andrew Cencini, Keith J. O’Hara, Adalbert Gerald Soosai Raj, William G. Griswold, Leo Porter · 2024
The US incarcerates more people, and at a higher rate, than any other country in the world---predominantly low-income people of color. Higher education in prison (HEP) has a powerful impact on justice-impacted people, improving their quality of life during incarceration and reducing their likelihood of returning to prison post-release. HEP nearly disappeared in 1994 after Pell Grant eligibility was eliminated for incarcerated students, which was recently reinstated. More computing educators can reach incarcerated students with digital literacy skills, core computing content, and critical analyses of the impacts of computing on society. CS education researchers can also support the growth of CS education in prisons, and influence policies restricting technology infrastructure.